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For his charity’s first benefit event, Chargers linebacker Matt Wilhelm shares a meal with a celebrity chef, a corporate president and a few busy football players
It’s hard to imagine serving a delicate dish of diver scallops to big, beefy football players. Burgers seem a better fit, or perhaps juicy prime-cut steak. But to have LaDainian Tomlinson, Matt Wilhelm, Luis Castillo, Chris Chambers and Jacques Cesaire all at a table and serve them scallops with prosciutto and black mission figs? Only a top chef could pull that off.
“The guys and their wives all eat at the restaurant regularly,” says Brian Malarkey, executive chef at Oceanaire Seafood Room. “They know me and my food, so I knew tonight’s menu would have to be straightforward, comfortable and fun. I believe the most impressive meals are those where you first remember what the atmosphere and company were like, and then remember the subtleties of the food.”
On a quintessential fall evening, Malarkey had a chance to prove his theory—and his way with scallops. It was the first fund-raiser for Wilhelm’s Tackle It Now Foundation, a charity he and his wife, Vanessa, established to encourage personal excellence, social awareness, educational advancement and athletic development in underprivileged youth and families. Qualcomm president Steve Altman committed $10,000 to the foundation and offered to host the dinner for 20 at his La Jolla home—provided Malarkey and his Oceanaire team did the cooking. Malarkey donated the meal and partnered with Regal Wine Company, which paired each course with wine from Chalk Hill.
In the main room, the staff set an elegant table beneath a chandelier of streaming handblown bubbles. Candles cast a soft glow over the room, revealing glimpses of the ocean through an expanse of windows. In such a sophisticated setting, to have served burgers would’ve been a faux pas; steak, all too ordinary.
In true Malarkey fashion—remember his seafood sausage on TV’s Top Chef?—the kitchen bustled with ocean ingredients of all sorts. A parade of appetizers included Casino Royale Littleneck clams and Fijian big-eye tuna poke. Salad consisted of Oregon Dungeness crab and local apples. Prosciutto-wrapped scallops made an appearance as prelude to a dish composed of duck breast with port-infused cherries, toasted pistachio and sweet potato. For the finale, all eyes and palates were treated to a Malarkey-style surf ’n’ turf featuring a hunky 24-ounce bone-in “tomahawk” beef chop served alongside spiny lobster on a platter big enough for two—or three—to share.
“The duck with sweet potatoes was amazing,” says Wilhelm, who couldn’t have asked for a better turnout. “This night is the first actual benefit event for Tackle It Now, and to get such a great group of people together says a lot. Especially the willingness of my teammates, who have charities of their own, to do this on their off-day—it speaks so highly of them.”
Indeed, it isn’t easy to get the Chargers together for a home-cooked, five-course meal. With the season in full swing, they practice four days a week, spend Saturdays either traveling or practicing, then Sundays on the field. Their days usually begin and end at 6. And on Thursday, their only day off, the guys work at community events before heading back to the club to watch film. Thirteen players—including three at this dinner table—have charitable foundations of their own.
Altman’s teenage daughters wore their Chargers jerseys and stayed up to mingle with guests. “That Matt’s charity is focused on kids—especially their education, health and fitness—is very near and dear to us,” says Altman. “And of course we can’t say enough about Brian.”
Apparently, Malarkey’s scallops did more than impress. At the end of the night, Altman interrupted the merriment to thank the chef and his team for donating an amazing meal—one he felt had been “undersold.” To loud cheers and raised glasses, Altman announced he would double his original contribution and donate $20,000 to the Wilhelms’ foundation.
“That was my favorite part of the night,” Malarkey says.
Brian Malarkey’s
“The Blitz” Boston Scallops Wrapped with Italian Prosciutto and Served with Black Mission Figs
Paired with Chalk Hill Estate Chardonnay
Fig Reduction
5 black mission figs, chopped
½ cup Rosemount Reserve or other red wine
½ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and reduce by half or until syrup consistency. Discard figs and let the syrup rest for one minute.
8 large scallops, dry-packed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, washed and chopped
6 ounces prosciutto, sliced very thin
1 teaspoon olive oil
For garnish:
black mission figs, watercress or arugula
Season the scallops with salt, pepper and thyme and wrap them along the sides with prosciutto. Make sure to wrap tightly all the way around.
In a medium-to-large sauté pan over moderate heat, add the oil. Gently sear the scallops on the top and bottom until they are medium-rare—or more if you desire. Be careful not to overcook.
Drizzle with fig reduction. Garnish with uncooked black mission figs, watercress or another spicy green like arugula and extra-virgin olive oil.
Serves four.
Brian Malarkey’s “Touchdown” Tomahawk Chop and Lobster
Turf
4 tomahawk chops or bone-in rib-eye steaks
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper
¼ cup olive oil
Rub the beef with the garlic, thyme, seasoning and olive oil. Let everything marinate at room temperature for about an hour. Grill or roast to your desired temperature/doneness. Brush with Courvoisier glaze (recipe follows) just before serving. Serves four.
Courvoisier Glaze
1 cup Courvoisier or cognac
¼ cup brown sugar
Several whole green peppercorns
Reduce Courvoisier or other cognac in a saucepan with the sugar and a few green peppercorns. When the cognac has reduced by half, it will start to thicken; remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Use a brush or drizzle the glaze on the beef just before serving.
Surf
4 spiny lobster tails, 6 to 8 ounces each
Salt and pepper
12 tablespoons butter (3 tablespoons for each)
20 garlic cloves, chopped (5 cloves for each lobster tail)
8 tablespoons lemon juice (2 tablespoons for each)
2 teaspoons lemon zest (½ teaspoon for each)
4 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped (1 tablespoon for each)
Cut the lobster tails in half and season with salt and pepper. Use a little nonstick spray and put “the giant shrimp on the Barbie” in a small sauté pan. Add the butter and garlic, and cook the garlic until it just begins to brown. Add remaining ingredients; adjust seasoning. Serve side by side with the chop for the most amazing surf and turf!
For more culinary malarkey from our very own top chef, check out Brian Malarkey’s blog by clicking here.
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